Chase
,
5

From the driver’s seat of his cheerful yellow bulldozer, Chase looks as confident as a foreman on a job site. Yet instead of moving mounds of dirt, Chase’s new equipment has a more important role. The bulldozer playset helps this five-year-old to stand tall and stay strong!

Chase has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes progressive muscular degeneration and weakness. Regular physical therapy is important to help control his symptoms and thanks to generous Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island donors, Chase now has a new way to get exercise and maintain muscle tone.

On a warm August day, Chase and his siblings watched his custom-made playset being delivered and installed, and Chase’s anticipation grew as each piece was assembled and connected. A tire swing, double glider, and other swings beckoned, with a curving wave slide and straight turbo slide awaiting the first glide down. As soon as installation was complete, Chase ran to his bulldozer and climbed aboard.

“He loves the whole playset,” says his mom, Holly. “He is so happy, he smiles from ear to ear when he gets up in the morning and sees it there, and then he goes out and spends most of the day on it!”

Chase’s wish provided him with something he will continue to enjoy for years to come, and his bulldozer will surely help him construct joyful days of play in his backyard, feeling mighty and building strength even in the face of his illness.

Watching Chase on his playset and reflecting on her family’s Make-A-Wish experience, Holly says, “Wishes bring happiness to every heart involved in them!”